After watching a few Korean movies, some good (My Sassy Girl, Il Mare, Sex is Zero), some okay (Volcano High), some bad (2009, Shiri, Wonderful Days), I've decided that I need to watch more Korean cinema. I just need a list that will help me with good blind buys. So what are the must sees?

MUSA
Joint Security Area
Bichunmoo (only if you like wuxia)

I just ordered:

Save The Green Planet
Memories of Murder
No Blood No Tears
Untold Scandal
Romantic Warriors
Public Enemy
Legend of Evil Lake
Natural City (mixed reviews)

I think Volcano High is overrated.

Here's some useful threads to check out -- http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...hreadid=215420

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...hreadid=278382

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...hreadid=313416

Beefjerky, can I ask why you didn't like 2009? I was thinking of picking that one up since I liked Shiri. So, any comments would be appreciated.

You might want to look into:

The Classic (since you like MSG and Il Mare)
Christmas in August
Friend
A Tale of 2 Sisters

Thanks for the threads, somehow I missed them while browsing through the other pages of the forum.

2009 was just incredibly dull all the way through. The action scenes were boring gun shoot outs that were filmed without any flair. The plot was also dull, and the acting was as wooden as my penis in the morning. This is a very minor nitpick, but I thought it was annoying how someone would die, and one of the main characters would stand in the middle of raging gun fire, sad look on his face, just "feeling" for like 5 minutes straight.

But I've seen a lot of positive reviews for this one, and I guess if you enjoyed Shiri, you might enjoy 2009.

Also, has anyone seen Please Teach Me English? The premise sounds funny, but then again, it sounds like a ridiculously over the top asian comedy.

http://www.dvdasian.com/cgi-bin/dvda...ml?id=5vB4YqEQ

I bought this and watched it with my wife last week. Yes, it has its "over the top" moments, but then again, most Korean comedies do. We enjoyed it. Not the greatest movie in the world, but certainly good for a popcorn movie. The only part that was way stupid was the part with the pig.

Actually, I was going to start a similar thread asking for Korean recommendations, but I can use this one just as well. I've read through all the previous Korean review threads, and used them to guide my purchases and rentals.

In fact, I had never seen a Korean film before visiting this site! (I was looking for info on HK movies), and it is because of the reviews and comments on Korean cinema provided in this forum that I started watching Korean films. The fact that my wife is Korean helps some, but she doesn't get into movies much at all--Korean or otherwise.

So, with that--what has come out recently that one would recommend? Or, something that I may have missed? Just so you know where I'm coming from, the following are Korean films I've seen and/or own:

Very, Very Good to Excellent
All For Love
Bichunmoo
Big Swindle, The
Bloody Tie
Calla
Classic, The
Ditto
Family, A
Family Ties (aka Birth of a Family)
Good, the Bad, and the Weird, The
Guns & Talks
Harmonium in My Memory, The
Il Mare
Lover's Concerto
Marathon
Moment to Remember, A
My Little Bride
My Lovely Sam-Soon (TV series)
My Sassy Girl
No Blood, No Tears
Oldboy
Romance of Their Own (aka Temptation of Wolves)
Secret Sunshine
Some
Tale of Two Sisters, A
Volcano High
Wanee and Junha
You Are My Sunshine

Enjoyable--Glad I Bought/Watched
3-Iron
71--Into the Fire
...ing
2009 Lost Memories
A.F.R.I.K.A.
All In (TV series)
Antarctic Journal
Art Museum By the Zoo
Art of Seduction, The
Blood Rain
Brand New Life, A
Chaser, The
Comrade (aka Double Agent)
Contact, The
Crazy Marriage
Crying Fist
Cyrano Agency
Failan
Flying Boys
Green Chair
Happy End
Host, The
Ice Rain
Into the Mirror
Interview
Jakarta
Last Witness
Lovely Rivals
Love Now (aka Changing Partners)
Lovers of 6 Years
Madeleine
Make It Big
Memento Mori
Millionaire's First Love, A
Mother
Murder Take One
Musa
My Dear Enemy (aka A Fine Day)
My Generation
My Mother, the Mermaid
My Teacher, Mr. Kim
My Tutor Friend
My Wife Is a Gangster
Now and Forever
Oasis
Once Upon a Time a Battlefield (aka Hwangsanbul)
Once Upon a Time in High School
On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate
Oollala Sisters
Oseam
Paradise Murdered
Peppermint Candy
Phone
Please Teach Me English
Plum Blossom (aka Youth)
Possessed (aka Living Death / Disbelief Hell)
Public Enemy
Quiet Family
Raging Years (aka Low Life)
R-Point
Radio Star
Red Shoes
Sad Movie
Scent of Man
Sex Is Zero
Shiri
Silmido
Silver Knife
Singles
Someone Special
Spider Forest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring
Sweet Sex and Love
Taeguki
Take Care of My Cat
Tazza: The High Rollers (aka The War of Flower)
Tell Me Something
Too Beautiful to Lie
Unborn but Forgotten
Untold Scandal
Villain and Widow
Way Home, The
Wedding Campaign
Welcome to Dongmakgol
When Romance Meets Destiny
Whispering Corridors 3: Wishing Stairs
Wig, The
Wild Card
Windstruck
Woman Is the Future of Man

One Viewing Was Enough
100 Days with Mr. Arrogant (aka Slave Love)
301/302
Addicted (aka The Poisoning)
Almost Love
Ardor
Attack the Gas Station
Barking Dogs Never Bite
Bittersweet Life, A
Bizarre Love Triangle
Bunshinsaba
Chihwaseon
Christmas in August
Club Butterfly
Conduct Zero
Contact, The
Crush and Blush (aka Miss Carrot)
Daisy
Die Bad
Eoudong
Foul King
Friend
Good Lawyer's Wife, A
Green Fish
Hi, Dharma! 2
Holiday in Seoul
Host & Guest
Hot for Teacher
Hypnotized (aka Faceless Beauty)
I Wish I Had a Wife
Jail Breakers
Jenny, Juno
JSA
Kick the Moon
King and the Clown
Last Present
Lies
Love Is a Crazy Thing
Love Phobia
Love, So Divine
Love Wind, Love Song
Marrying the Mafia
Memories of Murder
Mr. Gam's Victory
Mr. Handy (aka Hong Banjang)
My Beautiful Girl, Mari
My Brother
My Scary Girl
My Wife Is A Gangster 2
Natural City
No. 3
Oh! Brothers
One Fine Spring Day
Phantom, the Submarine
President's Barber, The
President's Last Bang, The
Puzzle
Ring Virus
Romantic Assassins
Saving my Hubby
Scarlet Letter, The
See You After School
Show! Show! Show!
Spark the Lighter
Spy Girl
Summer Time
Surprise (aka Surprise Party)
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
To Catch a Virgin Ghost
Typhoon
When Spring Comes
White Badge
White Valentine
Who Are You
Yesterday

I Want These Two Hours of My Life Back!
Bad Guy
Bet on My Disco
Bungee Jumping of Their Own
Camel(s)
Can't Live Without Robbery (aka Steal It if You Can)
Crazy First Love
Desire
Ghost House (aka Ghost Lives)
He Was Cool
Hi, Dharma!
I'm a Cyborg But That's Okay
Isle, The
Last Wolf, The
Love Talk
My Boss, My Hero
Nabi (aka The Butterfly)
Nowhere to Hide
Rules of Dating, The
S-Diary
Samaria
Save the Green Planet
Scent of Love
Sinking into Her (aka Love Her)
Sorum
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
This Charming Girl
Tube
Uninvited, The
Wet Dreams

These I Own But Have Not Yet Watched
Arang
Asako in Ruby Shoes
Byul (aka The Star)
Chaw
For Eternal Hearts
Housemaid, The
Jungle Juice
My Friend and His Wife
Over the Rainbow
Paju
Perfect Match, A
Righteous Ties

(I will be glad to post comments or rationale for any of these someone may be contemplating--just ask!)

Korean movies are just like any other movie... not everyone is gonna agree - one person's favorite film is another person's crap. I would've put Shiri as a must have and I also would've put Il Mare as a must have. I loved a few of the movies on the above poster's "wish I could get my 2 hours back" list and I was lukewarm on some of his "excellent" list.

Has anyone seen these Korean movies? If so, any thoughts about them.

Who R U
Scent of Love

Here's my Top 10 Favorites:

1) My Sassy Girl (Director's Cut)
2) Oasis
3) Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
4) Peppermint Candy
5) Memories of Murder
6) Failan
7) Take Care of My Cat
8) The Turning Gate
9) A Tale of Two Sisters
10) Public Enemy

I agree with Trigger, I find some of divemaster's categorizations to be absolutely mindboggling but I have neither the will nor the time to demolish his listings at this time.

Ok just one : Bichunmoo is an editing mess and barely passable while Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is a masterpiece of nihilism.

What kind of movie is Tale of Two Sisters? Is it like a Ring-type horror movie? I'm not really a fan of scary movies like that, so do you think I'll enjoy it?

I thought "A Tale of Two Sisters" was one of the most effective genre films I've seen. I hesitate to call it a "horror" movie because that can bring up mental images of schlock. This was definately better than most movies that will put a scare into you. "Sisters" is more of a psychological/unnerving film that require a bit of effort to make sense of it. But it plays fair and the scares are genuine. By that, I mean well-developed (for the most part) plot devices rather than gratuitous scenes. I found the discussions on this (and other forums) to be helpful in the overall understanding.

Anyway, I watched it by myself (no way my wife would come near this type of film), and I caught myself almost doing that "put your hand in front of your eyes and peek through your fingers" thing a time or two. At the very least, I curled up on the end of the couch and bit my knuckles a time or two.

Highest rating.

Ah, but I'm a total sucker for wuxia movies!
, which is precisely why I didn't like it. I agree that it was a technically well-made movie, but this is one of those times where "well-made" did not translate into "I like it."

Who R U .... I think you mean R U Ready? It's supposed to be one of those expensive movies that isn't all that good. Haven't seen it myself, though. Premise sounds kind of silly. Haven't heard of Scent of Love.

I definitely agree with A Tale of Two Sisters and definitely recommend Memories of Murder. Natural City was okay but it broke down as the movie went on. Tube was better, but nowhere near as good as Shiri or JSA. If you're not too picky about your sci-fi action you can try to find Yesterday. It's okay, but I'd have to watch it again to tell you more. Then again you can try Resurrection of the Little Match Girl, which seems to split audiences right down the middle. Unfortunately, the DVD had no English subs. Volcano High was okay but I have problems with it. Some plot points are badly done.

If you want something pretty heavy on symbolism, go ahead and try your luck with Tell Me Something.

Anybody who liked Shiri should check out Mr. Kang's Taegugki, which should come out on DVD in a couple of months. Silmido and Old Boy will be coming out in the next few months also and are worth checking out (although Old Boy will apparently have a mega -set released later on in the year).

If you like silly comedies, be sure to check out Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield (or Once Upon a Battlefield or whatever the hell the English title is). It's got some good comedy and silly antics going on.

What about the Anarchists? I kinda like this one.

No, there's a film called Who R U? I think I posted my thoughts on it, but don't remember where. Couldn't have been that long ago. It was a forgettable romantic comedy... better than You've Got Mail by a mile, but not much better than average. R U Ready I also reviewed and it was complete shit. Avoid at all costs. For that matter, avoid all films from that production company... all they can do well is make trailers, their films suck.

Yesterday was boring... don't waste your time. I started a thread about Taegugki and another film that came out around the same time and was getting alot of good press... Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield - is that Hwang San Bul? I thought that was crappy boring unfunny poo. The case for the DVD was really neat though. I wish I could find good subs for my Match Girl DVD - the only ones I can find aren't that good - it's a cool movie though.

I thought Once Upon A Time On A Battlefield (or Hwangsanbol) was a fantastic movie. Everything up until the end was absolutely hilarious, some of the funniest things I have ever seen. I did think some parts toward the end took itself too seriously though. But, overall I loved the film. The extras are pretty cool, even if they didn't have english subs.

My Korean Movie Top 10:

1. Christmas In August - The director wanted to present an image of death in "warm tones" ...
2. Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance
3. Take Care Of My Cat
4. Il Mare
5. My Sassy Girl
6. Failan
7. Barking Dogs Never Bite
8. Oasis
9. One Fine Spring Day
10. Lover's Concerto

I see that Korean Movies have kinda exploded here on DVDtalk and has taken over the international dvdtalk forum.

I'm still watching them but I'm too busy to do reviews fir them now but heres a short one:

Bet On My Disco

One of the funniest Korean comedies I've seen with a plethora of wacky characters who are all funny in their own right. My favourite though is the leecherous nightclub owner who first laid eyes on the film's little hottie.

Had the disc for ages and its the 2nd "dance" comedy I've seen after "oolala sisters" and I have one more to go called "Show show show"

The ending was definitely rushed and doesn't really bring the film to a satifactory end.

Its a comedy I will watch more than once.

Marriage Is A Crazy Thing (Crazy Marriage)

Director: Yu Ha (Once Upon A Time In High School AKA The Spirit Of June Keet Do)
Lead Actress: Uhm Jung Hwa (Singles, Mr. Hong)
Lead Actor: Gam Wu-Seong (Spider Forest)

Sounf: DD5.1 and DTS
Aspect Ratio 1:85:1 (Anamorphic)

Adult contemporary drama (i.e. full of hot sex scenes :norty: ) that explores the relationship of a free thinking couple who try to cohabit outside the social norm of a very traditional society.

There is really only two characters throughout the whole movie which is a plus point as we get to see them develop properly over the 90% screen time that they share.

Its mainly a commercial effort but with an uncommon theme and the ending is a good one although it leads to many questions being unanswered but I tend to like films about relationships to end like that.

I didn't think much of the actor or the actress at the start until they got down and did the dirty and from then on I couldn't peel my eyes off the screen.

The subject matter is daring* but the execution is still neat and tidy (commercial) so its no Kim Ki duk or Hang Song Soon. This film is different from the usual K-romanaces I tend to see and its clearly aimed at a more mature view on love and relationship. I enjoyed it quite a bit mainly because of the ending so much so its prompted me to right a mini review something which I haven't done in a long long time.

*daring as in implying that obedient Korean women could possbly have a bit on the side and get away with it!

The budget DVD release I bought is the same as the initial release with a very good picture and sound that is more than capable of getting the message across ... oh what the hell just buy it if the film appeals to you because you won't see another release of this ever anywhere ...

I've noticed the lack of Korean related threads also... So I'm gonna do my part.


My Top Twenty Korean Films

1. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance - A near flawless film, it comes full circle and then takes another lap. Brilliant.

1. Oldboy – I need to re-watch “Sympathy” to see if Park Chan-Wook’s latest opus knocks his previous out of the #1 spot, so I’m giving them a TIE at the moment... Brilliantly brutal, stylized and Shakespearian, Olboy is a tour de force that deserves every accolade and then some.

3. Oasis – A touching story that will amaze and embrace you. Fabulous performances, great cinematography and good use of CGI make this an outstanding film.

4. Chihwaseson – I’ll admit I love costume-pieces, but this is not only a film with a great story and cast, it’s one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen.

5. On The Occasion Of Remembering the Turning Gate - Heavily influenced by French New Wave and Italian Neo-Realism, it has great performances, wonderful locations and a simple, but complex story.

6. The Quiet Family - Hilarious black comedy (with a touch of Hitchcockian suspense) that's entertaining to the end. Remade as "The Happiness of Katakuris” by Takeshi Miike.

7. JSA - Celebrated with world-wide acclaim, this film takes a deep look into human nature and friendship. Beautifully shot with a great cast and even better direction by Park Chan-Wook.

8. Memories of Murder - Based on true events, this serial killer comedy (yes, it's quite funny) certainly lived up to all the hype and box-office it received. Nicely equipped with great acting.

9. Bad Guy - This is one of those films the more you think about it, the more you want to watch it again. Noticeable Lynchian influences and a great lead performance.

10. The Way Home - A beautifully told story that proves that keeping it simple works, more ways than one. How anyone could say anything negative about this film boggles me.

11. Nabi - While set in the future, this film has every bit of relevance in today's world. Shot on DV, the film has a nice gritty look and some wonderful performances.

12. Attack The Gas Station - One of the first Korean films I saw and still one of my favorites. This hilarious romp has a fantastic cast of characters (and actors) and has good insight into Korean culture.

13. Steal It If You Can (aka Can’t Live Without Robbery, aka The Thief Maker) – Saw this purely by word of mouth, I found this to be a total blast. Lots of laughs that coincide with a solid story and great acting. Also has great use of creative cinematic devices and a great soundtrack.

14. Friend - This gangster epic stay's true to its name and embraces the bond of friendship over time. Great performances and fabulous cinematography.

15. The Classic - As the title suggests, this film relies on the atypical classic romance/love story. Comes fully equipped with all the great techniques associated to the genre.

16. Christmas In August - Touching to the very end, this is far more than a simple love story. An exercise in the strengths and weaknesses of humankind is probably a better description.

17. Il Mare - Hollywood wishes they could make Romance films as well as South Korean's. Another stylistically sound film that retains it's well written story to the end.

18. Take Care Of My Cat – Touching, intelligent film with solid storytelling, good acting and great direction. City of Inchon is the secret star of the film…

19. Barking Dogs Never Bite – A smart black comedy that’s not all about cheap laughs. Nice feature directorial debut with some excellent acting performances.

20. The Foul King – Fun comedy with another excellent performance by Kang-Ho Song. Fresh cinematography and great physical comedy help this nab a top twenty spot.


Runner Up's (I'm no doubt forgetting some...): Nowhere To Hide, Musa, My Wife Is A Gangster, A Tale of Two Sisters, , My Boss My Hero, Sorum, My Sassy Girl, Guns and Talk, My Beautiful Girl Mari, Tell Me Something and The Isle.

Films I yet to see: Bungee Jumping of Their Own, Day The Pig Fell Into The Well, The, Happy End, Failan, Untold Scandal, Art Museum By The Zoo, Samarian Girl, Harmonium in My Memory, Power of Kangwon Province, The, One Fine Spring Day, Ditto, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring and Lover’s Concerto.

I haven't seen many Korean films, but I can say that I strongly disliked Volcano High and Shiri, liked most of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Failan, and liked all of Oldboy and JSA. Samaria was very good, Spring Summer etc was pointless except for the cinematography. I really liked Addicted but no one else seems to have. On my "to watch" list for Korean films is Il Mare (sitting in the other room, haven't gotten to it yet) and maybe Save the Green Planet.

Overall I have found some great movies in Korean cinema, but it seems to be generally overhyped in Asian movie discussion forums. It's a possibility that I just haven't adjusted to Korean cultural nuances in film like I have for HK films.

My favorite Korean movies are(in no particular order)...

Old Boy
Guns and Talks
My Sassy Girl
Public Enemy
Take Care of My Cat
Foul King
Save the Green Planet
Memories of Murder
Christmas In August
Art Museum By The Zoo
Attack The Gas Station
JSA
Sympathy For Mr Vengeance

"Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring" is an excellent art house film that depicts the cycle of the stages of life and the maturing of the human spirit, in an astoundingly beautiful, but unpretentious manner. Highly recommended for someone who appreciates reflection and introspection on the human heart.

dont forget that like some great japanese cinema : some korean stuff appears on good and cheap hong kong dvds... JSA / sympathy for mister vengeance / tale of two sisters all are there at www.dddhouse.com (highly recommended, cheap etc..) and OLD BOY is $22 at places like www.koreandvds.com ... memories of murder : out in HK ... attack the gas station : out in HK ...

The Korean DVDs are almost always better though. There are some exceptions of course, like A Tale of Two Sisters which has a terrific HK DVD, one identical to the KR discs in terms of a/v.